CBS has attempted to shoot down a flurry of new reports that its news division will
replace Katie Couric as anchor of the CBS Evening News following the presidential
inauguration in January. The reports, which cited CBS news executives and persons close to
Couric, appeared in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post
and were quickly picked up by other newspapers and wire services. However,
a spokesperson for the CBS Evening News said late Wednesday that it has "no p
lans for any changes regarding Katie or the broadcast." In a separate statement,
Couric did not directly address the report but said that she was "working hard and
having fun" and is "very proud of the show we put on every day." The Post disclosed tha
t CBS Chairman Les Moonves and CBS News President Sean McManus have been involved
in the discussions with Couric and quoted sources as saying that they will not make
a final decision concerning Couric until late summer at the earliest and that they
would likely offer her a syndicated talk show or a full-time role on 60 Minutes,
presumably at less pay. Currently Couric receives $15 million a year to anchor the
third-place newscast. While the Journal suggested that "Couric could
survive if a major news event lifted the newscast's ratings or some other shift occurred
at CBS," the Post said that network executives now "recognize that a significant
improvement in the ratings is unlikely."